The New Spain Fleets
Delving into three centuries of socioeconomic history through Artificial Intelligence
The Spanish Fleets that sailed between the 16th and 18th centuries inaugurated the modern global system we live in today.
They transported all sorts of resources, people, and knowledge between the Americas and Europe leaving behind extensive documentation.
Using innovative computational methods based on artificial intelligence, the New Spain Fleets (NSF) project is creating a step-change in the way historical archaeology collects evidence and analyses information while transforming our knowledge about the New Spain Fleets.
The NSF project is:
Creating an unparalleled digital collection bringing together thousands of historical documents related to the NSF from two major archives
Carrying out the semi and automated transcription of this collection, unlocking historical information in thousands of documents
Using automated annotation methods to identify, mine, and analyse meaningful information from these sources
Creating an online platform that will facilitate to any scholar the exploration, query, and extraction of information from the New Spain Fleets documents
Carrying out, in five case studies, a series of historical analyses that will substantially advance our knowledge of the social, economic, and scientific revolutions facilitated by the New Spain Fleets.
From our blog
£1 million grant will unlock uncharted history of the Spanish fleets
Originally published in Lancaster University Newsletter. Researchers at Lancaster University...
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